It proved to be a well needed break from the west side of the mountains. My wife who is also a realtor, besides being a great wife and mother, and myself spent the weekend on the east side of Washington State. True Built Home built a model home in Zillah Lakes, just outside Yakima. After the home was originally built we spent a couple of weekends enjoying the area, and now kind of thirst for it. Why? Several reason but a few come with a picture or two.

The community at Zillah lakes has a little 9 hole golf course, a great way to work on some of your aspects of your swing and your game if you want. I did, so I spent a few hours working on my 150 yards out shot. I have not made any progress!

After our open house was over for the day, we always pay a visit to one of our favorite places, Dineen Vineyard. Wine is good, food is great, people are wonderful, sites are extraordinary.

They have a pizza oven there where the chef and his family have perfected making anything they desire to make and people are willing to eat. After several visits here, we’ll eat practically cardboard because he can do no wrong!

Here it comes now,

It was a pleasant afternoon, but it was not over. Our good friend Doug Lakeman who care takes for Zillah Lakes community invited us to the annual Jones Market food feast. He has put in on for several years, the man is generous to care for it all, and it was a lot. They were not going to run out of food, libations or people enjoying themselves. Frankly, we had little room for much food, but we made a spot! After all how can you pass up authentico Mexican cousin!

The big vat was filled with roasting cornita, fried to absolute perfection. The kind folks were kind enough to put up with my broken Spanish, as me and my wife spent close to 3 years in South America, what feels like a lifetime ago.

We had a great time as we always do, and not sure when this little area of the Yakima Valley will be discovered. I like to call it the little brother to Sonoma, I know that will likely turn a nose upward, but we just love coming to the vineyards over here where people remember you, your wine preference and where the food, no matter where you go is wonderful! Salud!

So, a client wanted to get a bit more info about spray foam insulation, and our contractor provide some good content that I thought I would post for future reference.

Lewis, I can certainly speak some towards spray-foam..

Firstly, it depends on the depths of the cavities and how much the owners want to fill in. BASF literature recommends a layer of at minimum 2.5 inches in the walls to obtain that complete air and moisture barrier that most people have as their primary reason for sprayfoaming. When we do that, we typically use an R11 batt over the top of the 2.5 inches to finish filling the cavity 1) for R-value code, and 2) Insulation cannot have a void between itself and the drywall or mold can build from the opposite side. Depending on the market, prices can fluctuate a bit. Filling a cavity with spray-foam is costly and is most times overkill. I didn’t even full cavity spray my own house, I used the above “hybrid system”.

Mostly we use a full cavity spray in retro work where there isn’t enough room to fit batts to make code, and use it in lieu of cutting rigid board into things.

In stick-framed ceilings I like to use at least 3 inches to ensure that air and moisture barrier, per BASF specs, and then overbatt with whatever fills the particular cavity to code be it a vault or a flat ceiling. It can also be sprayed over drywall in a blown-in ceiling situation, which I particularly like as a fan of blown in insulation. We wait for the drywallers to finish their part and then have the crews come in a few days apart to finish up the attic in two phases.

If someone can afford it, sprayfoam is a great way to go. It is health-conscious and aside from the day it gets sprayed in is as green as it could possibly be, and BASF constantly works on making it more so. The air and vapor barrier in a state like this that has constant mold problems is a piece of mind that I know I personally won’t do without, seeing the insides of retro walls on a daily basis. I trust that when I have to open up my own walls to do something they’ll look just about the same way they did the day I got them blown in, even years and years down the road.

Thanks Lewis, hope that helps, any specific jobs you want me to add it as an option/upgrade just let me know in the specs.

Every once in a while we run into a difference of opinion with a client over the finish standard of our garages when they want to have the garage fully sheet-rocked. Some have come under the impression that the finish should be the same as the house, which can be done, but is rarely done if ever. After all, it’s a garage. So to help folks out, we put together some photos and descriptions for you to let you know what we offer for the upgrade to have your garage fully sheet-rocked. If you desire a higher finish, let us know and we can do it for a moderate upgrade cost. Level 0 is used in temporary construction or if final decoration is undetermined. No taping or finishing is required.

A Level 1 finish is recommended in areas that would generally be concealed from view or in areas that are not open to public traffic. Joint tape need not be covered with joint compound to fulfill the requirements of Level 1. In Level 1, the surface is left free of excess joint compound. Ridges and tool marks are acceptable for a Level 1 finish. This level is often specified in the plenum area above ceilings, in attics, or in service corridors. In some geographic areas this level is referred to as “fire-taping”.

Level 2-this is the finish that True Built Home offers and what is completed at the upgrade price.

In garages, warehouse storage areas and other similar areas where the final surface appearance is not of concern, a Level 2 finish is the recommendation. Level 2 may be specified where moisture resistant gypsum board is used as a tile substrate. Level 2 reads, “All joints and interior angles shall have tape embedded in joint compound and wiped with a joint knife leaving a thin coating of joint compound over all joints and interior angles”. This differentiates Level 2 from Level 1. Joint compound is applied over all fastener heads and beads. The surface is left free of excess joint compound. Ridges and tool marks are acceptable for a Level 2 finish.

Additionally, Level 2 includes the following sentence: “Joint compound applied over the body of the tape at the time of tape embedment shall be considered a separate coat of joint compound and shall satisfy the conditions of this level.” In the past there has been some confusion as to whether tape pressed into joint compound and covered with joint compound in a single operation fulfilled the requirements of Level 1 or Level 2

Level 3 In areas to be decorated with a medium or heavy hand and spray applied textures or where heavy-grade wall coverings will become the final decoration, a Level 3 finish is recommended. Level 3 states, “All joints and interior angles shall have tape embedded in joint compound and shall be immediately wiped with a joint knife leaving a thin coating of joint compound over all joints and interior angles. One additional coat of joint compound shall be applied over all joints and interior angles. Fastener heads and accessories shall be covered with two separate coats of joint compound. All joint compound shall be smooth and free of tool marks and ridges. Before final decoration it is recommended that the prepared surface be coated with a drywall primer prior to the application of final finishes. Level 3 is not recommended where smooth painted surfaces, light textures, or light- to medium-weight wall coverings become the final decoration.

Level 4

If the final decoration is to be a flat paint, light texture or lightweight wall covering, a Level 4 finish is recommended. As stated in Level 4, “All joints and interior angles shall have tape embedded in joint compound and shall be immediately wiped with a joint knife leaving a thin coating of joint compound over all joints and interior angles. Two separate coats of joint compound shall be applied over all flat joints and one separate coat of joint compound shall be applied over interior angles. Fastener heads and accessories shall be covered with three separate coats of joint compound. All joint compound shall be smooth and free of tool marks and ridges.” It is recommended that the prepared surface be coated with a drywall primer prior to the application of final finishes.

In severe lighting areas, flat paints applied over light textures tend to reduce joint photographing. Paints with sheen levels other than flat as well as enamel paints are not recommended over this level of finish. Special attention should be paid to long corridors, large areas of wall, and large/multiple windows when specifying Level 4, because these areas are potential areas of concern in achieving acceptable wall finishes, and may need to be specified appropriately.

Level 5 Level 5 finish is recommended for areas where severe lighting conditions exist and areas that are to receive gloss, semi-gloss, enamel or non-textured flat paints. Level 5 requires all the operations in Level 4. Additionally, a thin skim coat of joint compound, or material manufactured especially for this purpose, is applied to the entire surface. A thorough explanation of “skim coat” is given in the comments section of GA-214.

A skim coat of joint compound is intended to conceal small imperfections in joints and on the surface of the gypsum board to help conceal joints and create the appearance of flatness. A skim coat will also smooth the texture of the paper, minimize differences in surface porosity, and create a more uniform surface to which the final decoration can be applied.